First Match

[Dalesdad]

I am about to fish my first match at the weekend which is meant to be a friendly works sports & social club event (but will still end up being super competitive due to the nature of my work colleagues)

The venue is a commercial with mixed stock and some double figure carp.

I have persuaded Dale to let me use his gear which is on the light side for the larger carp.

I have a 4M elasticated whip and 10' ledger rod to use.

Now the question is, do I go for lots of small fish on the whip or try for fewer of the medium fish on the rod but risk getting broken by a larger carp.

Any other suggestions and tips in general for fishing a match would be greatfully received.

[AddictedToScopex]

I am about to fish my first match at the weekend which is meant to be a friendly works sports & social club event (but will still end up being super competitive due to the nature of my work colleagues)

The venue is a commercial with mixed stock and some double figure carp.

I have persuaded Dale to let me use his gear which is on the light side for the larger carp.

I have a 4M elasticated whip and 10' ledger rod to use.

Now the question is, do I go for lots of small fish on the whip or try for fewer of the medium fish on the rod but risk getting broken by a larger carp.

Any other suggestions and tips in general for fishing a match would be greatfully received.

I would suggest trying both. The tiddlers will add a lot to your weight and you dont really want to rely on catching the big ones in case you don't. I would probably go for a bit of both. Trickle feed maggots on the whip to bag up on bits and then maybe for the last hour or so fish a prebaited spot on the feeder for the larger fish. How long is the match?

 

Also there is no reason you should get snapped off by the larger fish if you play them well and remember the limits of your line.

Edited May 9, 2011 by AddictedToScopex

[Dalesdad]

Thanks A-T-S

 

its 5 hours (10 til 3)

 

Not sure if prebaiting is going to work well. Its not a very big lake (Spinney pond at Dents of Hilgay)and to-date all but 3 pegs are going to be used so we are pretty much going to be on top of each other as it is.

 

I had thought feeder for first 2 hours or so and see how it goes then on to the whip to bag up. I think what ever I do its going to be trial and error.

[RUDD]

Thanks A-T-S

 

its 5 hours (10 til 3)

 

Not sure if prebaiting is going to work well. Its not a very big lake (Spinney pond at Dents of Hilgay)and to-date all but 3 pegs are going to be used so we are pretty much going to be on top of each other as it is.

 

I had thought feeder for first 2 hours or so and see how it goes then on to the whip to bag up. I think what ever I do its going to be trial and error.

Its hard to say without knowing venue, species, sizes, peg etc BUT I would feed loose maggots on the whip line from the start on a little and regular basis with the occasion pouch full of either hemp or 4mm pellets to get some bait down to the bottom.

For the first hour try the feeder and if method is working stick at it until bites dry up (where switching to a straight bomb may pick up a few more fish) then fish the whip line using an on the drop rig that will catch fish at all depths - on a mixed fihery you will be surprised at what will turn up on this line so be prepaired).

Good luck.

[Dalesdad]

Well it didn't go too bad, all things considered, but there is a "and finally"

 

Loose fed maggots for 2 hours and got around 40 roach of varying sizes.

Went on to the tip for 1.5 hours further out over a bed of pellets and got three!

With low patience went back onto the whip and finished with over 100 silvers weighing in at just under 10lb. As thought others were going for the carp and a few got well into the 30lbs but I expected that. Came mid way up the table but some only 4 or 5 pegs down from me blanked/didn't weight in so over all a good day out.

 

HOWEVER, and this is the gutting bit, I got Dalesmum to bring him down to see the weigh in and then I let him have a fish for an hour afterwards while I packed the gear away etc.

2x 3lb+ Carp and a couple of decent roach later I tell him we have to pack up as it we had to go home for tea. Well that was the excuse I gave him. (we had agreed to 5pm pack up before hand anyway, if you think I was being cruel)